Engine-starter.



' C.POHL.

ENQINE'START'ER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1915.

1,149,783. I Y Pat'nted Aug. 10, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

//v VE/VTO R 42/462155 PUHL fraR/VE)L C. P'OHL.

ENGl-NE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED. MAY n, 1915.

1,149,783. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

//v YEN 7-0 H. CHARLES 7:0HL

yrraey vg CHARLES IPOHL, DE LOS ANGELES, =CALIFORNIA.

ENGINE-STARTER.

narrates.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed may 17, 1915. Serial No. 28,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it, known that I, CHARLES POHL, a c tizen of the United States,residing at the city of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles andState of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inEngine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a mechanical starter for an expiosioneng'ine,particularly designed for use on an automobile, and the object thereofis to produce a starter for the engine which is simple in construction,efilcient in operation and which can be easily attached to any of thestandard makes of machines without alteration or injury to any of theparts.

A further object is to produce a starter in the use of which a backfirecannot cause injury to the operator and which after each use thereof isautomatically restored to its operative position. v

In the drawings forming a part of this application: Figure 1 is adiagrammatic side elevation of my starter in place on an automobile,only the front portion of the automobile being shown in dotted lines.Fig. 2 is a top plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation centralsection. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is asection on the line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detailof the clutch pawl and adjacent parts.

Upon the front of the machin'e 9 is mounted in any suitable mannera'circular cupshaped base plate 10 provided with a flange 11 on whichflange are lugs 12. On the inside of the rim is an inwardly projectingstop lug 13. In the drawings I have shown four of these outer lugs 12 ofa semi-circular shape but there may be any desired number. Extendingcentrally through base plate 10 is a cranking shaft 14, on the inner endof which is a coupling member 15, which conples onto the engine shaft.This coupling member is of such shape as will fit onto the engine shaftof the make of machine on which the starter is used. In the drawingsthis coupler is designed for attachment to a Ford machine and the backof the base plate is also designed for use on that make of machine.

Mounted upon shaft 14 within the cup of the base plate is a rotarymember comdt posed of two circular plates 16- and 17 which are spacedapart by a flange 18 atmy starter partly in longitudinal.

tached to one of the plates set at such distance from the edge as willform a chain groove around the rotary member. A portion of the edges ofthese plates are provided with projecting lugs 16 and 17 and when theparts are in their normal inoperative position these lugs engage lug 13of the base plate. Between lugs 16 and 17? is mounted a pawl 19 bya'pivoted bolt 20 which has a groove in'its outer edge and is curvedlike the edges of the lugs of the plates. Below this pawl flange 18 iscut away so that the nose of pawl 19 can be brought into 1 engagementwith a ratchet wheel 21 splined upon shaft 14 within the rotary member.A chain 22 is secured at one end by bolt 20 and passes through thegroove in the back of the pawl and around the flange of the rotarymember and out through a port 23 in the base plate which lies in a planesubstantially parallel with a plane that passes through the pawllongitudinally. The other end of the chain is fastened to'one end ofacable 22 the other .end of which is secured to-a foot lever 24 mountedon the body of the machine in a position to be operated by the foot ofthe'driver of the machine. Thecable is guided by a suitable guide wheel25 mounted on the body of the machine. Secured to flange 18 is a flatspring 26 which projects beneath pawl 19 and normally holds the nosethereof out of'engagement with the ratchet wheel 21. Plate 17 has a hub27 to which is secured one end of a flat clock spring 28. The other endof spring 28 is secured to the inner side of a cup-shaped tension plate29 which has notches 30 in its outer edge which fit over the lugs 12 ofthe base plate. By means of this plate and" the lugs on the base plate,spring 28 may be wound to give any desired tension. A cap plate 81issecured to the base plate by screws 32' which also pass through holes33 in the tension plate. In the outer end of the capp-late is aremovable cover 34 which when removed permits a cranking handle (notshown) to be placed on the end of shaft 14. A. pin 35 in shaft 14 holdsthe crank against rotation on the shaft. This pin and the crankinghandle form another means of starting the engine.

With the parts properly positioned as shown the operation is as follows:The driver places his foot on lever 24 and gives it a quick fullmovementr The initial part of the movement causes the chain to depressthe nose of the pawl into engagement with ratchet wheel 21 and thefurther movement causes the revolution of shaft 14 thereby cranking theengine. Should an explosion not take place he releases the pressure onthe foot lever when spring 26 throws the nose of the pawl out ofengagement with the ratchet wheel and spring 28 returns the rochain 22and immediately spring 26 will throw the'nose of the pawl out ofengagement with the ratchet wheel and no discomfort or injury will besuffered by the driver. He then releases lever 24 and the parts arequickly returned to their normal position ready to be again used forcranking.

Having described my invention what I claim is: 7

Iii-an automobile starting device a cupshaped base plate having lugs onthe rim thereof, said base plate being adapted for attachment on thebody of the machine; an engine cranking shaft mounted in said plate; arotary member loosely mounted on said shaft, said rotary membercomprising two circular plates spaced apart by a flange near the outeredges thereof, one of said plates having a hub, said plates and flangeforming a housing; a notched wheel rigidly mounted on said shaft withinsaid housing; a pawl mounted on said rotary member adapted to contactwith said notched wheel; a spring mounted on said rotary member adaptedto hold said pawl out of contact with said wheel; a tension plateadjustably connected to said base plate; a clock spring having one endsecured to the hub of said rotary member and the other end secured tosaid tension plate;-and a flexible connection secured to said rotarymember whereby when the said flexible connection is pulled the engine iscranked.

In witness thatl claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' CHARLES POHL.

